The Eastern Cape department of social development has terminated a catering contract at the Silver Crown Old Age Home following findings of “non-performance” and breaches of service obligations.
The decision follows a provincial investigation launched after a whistleblower raised concerns about food shortages, poor living conditions and inadequate care at the facility.
The department confirmed that the contract at the KuGompo City facility was cancelled after repeated attempts to have the service provider address the issues failed.
According to a termination letter signed on April 30, the provider had been notified of deficiencies dating back to early 2025 and was issued with a formal notice of breach before being given a final opportunity to submit a corrective action plan.
The department said the provider failed to remedy the issues “in a sustained and satisfactory manner”, citing ongoing concerns about food quality, service consistency and compliance with oversight processes.
Whistleblower Bruce Delton said he was prompted to act after receiving a photograph of a resident’s meal.
“One Sunday morning … I got a photo from a resident at Silver Crown,” Delton said.
“The photo was their breakfast, which was two spoons of oats. It was so tiny, it was so little, and that compelled me to report the matter.”
Concerns raised during the investigation included insufficient food portions, reliance on family members for basic toiletries, and poor bedding and laundry conditions.
The wellbeing of our elderly citizens is our utmost priority. Any conduct that compromises their health, dignity or quality of life cannot be tolerated
Social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta said the department had prioritised the dignity and wellbeing of residents.
“After affording the service provider several opportunities to remedy and improve its substandard performance, it became evident that these efforts did not yield sustained improvement,” she said.
“The wellbeing of our elderly citizens is our utmost priority.
“Any conduct that compromises their health, dignity or quality of life cannot be tolerated.”
The contract was terminated with effect from May 5, and a temporary service provider has since been appointed.
Department spokesperson Mphumzi Zuzile said concerns about portion sizes and food quality were raised early in the contract, which began in July 2024.
“Department records confirm that these concerns were formally raised and escalated on multiple occasions,” he said.
“As a final remedial measure, the service provider was required to submit a corrective action plan, which it failed to do.”
Zuzile said the cancellation applied only to the Silver Crown contract, despite the provider holding several other agreements with the department.
“We do not have problems with other contracts. We had only a problem with this one contract,” he said.
No officials were disciplined following the termination.
The EFF, which previously attempted to conduct an oversight visit at the facility, welcomed the decision but criticised the department’s handling of the situation.
“The situation exposed a serious failure of oversight by the department of social development,” EFF spokesperson Amanda Mavuso said.
She said continued monitoring was needed to ensure conditions improved and similar incidents were prevented.
The department said it remained committed to protecting the rights and dignity of older people and would act decisively against noncompliant service providers.
The Dispatch was unable to reach the service provider by the time of publication.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.